Already it feels as if it’s Friday except I don’t have that Friday feeling. Yesterday was a long day even though we finished slightly earlier than usual and today was exhausting even though physically I’ve achieved little. So it’s with little fulfillment that I write this weeks journal entry. This gloomy slide possibly began early, very early, Monday morning as I contemplated the joys of wrestling with Dreamweaver for the day. I regret to admit I did not approach Monday with PMA [positive mental attitude] that my website would all fall into place, but more PMF [pigs might fly]. However, by the end of the day I felt I had made good progress which filled me with optimism about what I could now achieve in self-study .
Today has been mainly focussed on the ‘real world’ with our visit to the Design Mechanics. It was something I had been looking forward to for a while but has left a certain numbness in my mind. This is by no means a reflection of the Design Mechanics itself. Nor is it a disappointment about the quality or professionalism of the work they produce. It is more a personal reaction to the hard-nosed, highly competitive design industry then we are all striving to have a, seemingly insignificant, place in. I am a realist and I do not expect to fall into my dream job immediately but it really bought to light the harsh reality facing us at the end of the course. In particular the realisation that however much we strive to learn over the next few months there will always be a substantial short-fall in our knowledge and level of skill. This has particular resonance as increasingly I’m equating time to money and the interest is already building on the time I’ve borrowed. On a more positive note the visit did install in me a confidence that I am by no means wasting my time, but I should think carefully about exactly how I invest it over the next 18 months.
With regard to A6 I feel I am progressing well and I’m still greatly enthused with the creative potential of the unit. I see the hand out to accompany the presentation as another opportunity to explore and create. But referring to my earlier comments on time wasting I must ensure I don’t over indulge and neglect the development of my technical knowledge.
On a more random note I met the mayor of Wakefield today and was given an opportunity to present a piece of work. This was quite a bizarre moment with little apparent academic relevance. However, it was fundamental in adjusting my, self-absorbed, perspective and acknowledging the wider world again. It was refreshing to once again be reminded of the unpredictable, transient and beautiful world in which we live. Sometimes it is all to easy to loose sight of that, sometimes stepping back is the best thing you can do.
Tuesday 29 January 2008
Wednesday 23 January 2008
Contrast
This week has been one of completely opposing values and the foundation of this has been formed from our two current units. Already I am feeling despondent due to differences in the amount of creativity needed to be employed in A5 and A6. Unfortunately, Builder [A5] is the less favoured unit because of this and although my motivation to succeed is high, my enjoyment level somewhat differs. However, my progression in A5 is according to plan and I found the form building input straight forward and more simplistic than anticipated. Although I’m sure I will be eating my words when it comes to testing the form. In terms of the basic layout of the template it just needs a few tweeks and all my images need to be optimised. I am feeling more comfortable and confident using Dreamweaver and hopefully as I get more involved I start to enjoy it more. Oh just one thing; can you put a border around a single cell and if so how?
Revert to Type [A6] has been the redeeming feature of the week. I find the lectures interesting and collecting inspirational examples of type is really expanding my thinking for the presentation. I’m fortunate that my given typographer Morris Fuller Benton created a diverse range of typefaces, so it’s given me plenty of scope for experimentation. Today I created a mood board of some of his most interesting typefaces to help inspire the design of my slides [see image above].
Tuesday also encompassed the first of our timed assignments and created yet another diverse experience. Overall I really enjoyed the task I feel I created a good range of ideas and the quality of my final outcome was satisfactory considering the time limitations [see image above]. However, there was just one problem, I missed the deadline. The annoying thing was it wasn’t because of my time management but because InDesign kept shifting my design off of the page every-time I tried to print with crop marks. So, the deadline passed and even though I had all of my work complete I failed. In hindsight I should of just handed in the normal printout with my other sheets instead of persevering with the print setting menu, but what’s done is done. Strangely I wasn’t angry or frustrated about this because I felt satisfied I’d responded well to the task regardless of the mark or lack of mark I would receive.
The seminar group this week was also an eye-opener and bought to light the level of detail and commitment required to pass Sketch Blog [A1]. I’m looking forward to the new seminar groups as I feel the group dynamic will greatly assist my personal development. So I plan to use and abuse the talents of all in my new group, so be warned!
Targets for this week
- Polish template design for feedback next week
- Prepare rough draft of presentation
- Undertake self-generated inspirational work
- Prepare questions for feedback of presentation in seminar group
- Consider a piece of work to present at Design Mechanics
Tuesday 15 January 2008
Evolution
Once again the familiar clicking of keys fills the room as I sit here wishing the words were flowing so easily to my fingers. Already I have fallen into old habits and deleted this second sentence three times, hopefully now I’ve admitted my sins it will remain! So, the start of a new semester and I have to say it hasn’t been as painful as I’d anticipated. I think the three weeks off over Christmas were essential in allowing me to regain my drive after the arduous and challenging last semester.
I have to admit i felt completely drained leading up to the holiday and when it arrived it didn’t feel like Christmas at all. I was no longer a human being but had evolved into a highly tuned machine, spouting out page after page of assessment material. It took a good few days to switch this machine off and return back to planet Earth. Similarly when yesterday arrived I still felt a week behind, but rather than being a finally tuned design machine, I was a letter posting one! Now, a day on, I feel my head’s finally in the right place and I’m feeling really enthusiastic about the new semester for a number of reasons.
Firstly, the new projects seem to offer the right level of challenge combined with the opportunity to be creative. Obviously I favour A6, the Typography unit, as I feel it has more freedom and I enjoy the challenge of producing work under pressure. I’m apprehensive about A5 as I’m sure the building of the website will present equal, if not more, challenges. The problem is that they may be challenges I’m inexperienced to cope with and inevitably this will lead to considerable frustrations. However, I’m trying to approach the task with an open mind and I did enjoy experimenting with Dreamweaver yesterday, so fingers crossed!
Along with the prospect of interesting new projects I’m also in high spirits after receiving the feedback on A3 and A4. I’m ashamed to admit that, briefly, in the holiday I seriously considered my motives for continuing with the course. This was mainly due to the severe financial concerns bought on by the festive season. Self doubt is never a good thing and just for a moment I questioned if I would ever become the designer I hoped to be. Receiving the positive feedback from Steve and John yesterday really meant a lot to me and eliminated any doubts still residing in my mind.
So, to conclude, the going is good. I'm committed to achieving my full potential and now feel certain the investment I've made to achieve this will pay off. The first two days of the new semester have been very productive and I feel I've made a solid, considered, approach to both units. This week I hope to spend more time familiarising myself with Dreamweaver. This will hopefully allow me to analyse how to build my proposed screen designs. In terms of A6 I need to process the research I've gathered and gather some paper based sources. I also intend to complete some InDesign tutorials to enable me to work more effectively on the imminent timed tasks!
I have to admit i felt completely drained leading up to the holiday and when it arrived it didn’t feel like Christmas at all. I was no longer a human being but had evolved into a highly tuned machine, spouting out page after page of assessment material. It took a good few days to switch this machine off and return back to planet Earth. Similarly when yesterday arrived I still felt a week behind, but rather than being a finally tuned design machine, I was a letter posting one! Now, a day on, I feel my head’s finally in the right place and I’m feeling really enthusiastic about the new semester for a number of reasons.
Firstly, the new projects seem to offer the right level of challenge combined with the opportunity to be creative. Obviously I favour A6, the Typography unit, as I feel it has more freedom and I enjoy the challenge of producing work under pressure. I’m apprehensive about A5 as I’m sure the building of the website will present equal, if not more, challenges. The problem is that they may be challenges I’m inexperienced to cope with and inevitably this will lead to considerable frustrations. However, I’m trying to approach the task with an open mind and I did enjoy experimenting with Dreamweaver yesterday, so fingers crossed!
Along with the prospect of interesting new projects I’m also in high spirits after receiving the feedback on A3 and A4. I’m ashamed to admit that, briefly, in the holiday I seriously considered my motives for continuing with the course. This was mainly due to the severe financial concerns bought on by the festive season. Self doubt is never a good thing and just for a moment I questioned if I would ever become the designer I hoped to be. Receiving the positive feedback from Steve and John yesterday really meant a lot to me and eliminated any doubts still residing in my mind.
So, to conclude, the going is good. I'm committed to achieving my full potential and now feel certain the investment I've made to achieve this will pay off. The first two days of the new semester have been very productive and I feel I've made a solid, considered, approach to both units. This week I hope to spend more time familiarising myself with Dreamweaver. This will hopefully allow me to analyse how to build my proposed screen designs. In terms of A6 I need to process the research I've gathered and gather some paper based sources. I also intend to complete some InDesign tutorials to enable me to work more effectively on the imminent timed tasks!
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